Devin Bost Lawsuit: Boy Wears Braces For 11 Years, Sues Orthodontist

Eugene, OR – A 22-year-old Oregon man is suing his former orthodontist for making him wear braces for 11 years.

According to the $185,000 lawsuit, Devin Bost first visited Brad Chvatal, D.M.D, in August of 1997 after having his braces placed by a different orthodontist.

During his treatment, Bost visited Chvatal’s office periodically, although probably not as often as he should have, the NY Daily notes.

Suddenly, in June 2008, Bost “received an urgent phone call from (Chvatal’s office) that he needed to have the braces removed immediately,” the lawsuit states.

While orthodontists usually treat patients with braces for about two years, Bost donned his appliances from age 7 to 18, a move that came with many adverse effects.

“What I’m told by the experts is, ‘You can’t do this. You can’t keep them on that long. It’s just not done,” said Bost’s Portland attorney, David Hollander.

The lawsuit states that Bost has suffered serious tooth decay and periodontal disease from all of the years his teeth were covered. As a result, he was forced to seek the expertise of one of the nation’s top dentists in Boston because the damage was so extensive.

Bost is asking for $150,000 for pain and suffering, plus $35,100 to cover his oral surgery and periodontics expenses.

Dr Chvatal declined to talk about the details of the case, citing patient privacy laws, but said he tried to give Devin Bost “the best result we possibly could.”

“We have the utmost respect for them and empathy, and treat them — everybody — with the best quality care as we possibly can,” Dr. Chvatal said of his former patient, according to CBS News.

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